Mapping-related service providers (e.g., map data providers, navigation service providers, etc.) face significant technical challenges when modeling traffic. For example, it can be difficult to determine what road segments or links are affected by disturbances in traffic flow (e.g., an accident, construction, etc.) and how that traffic disturbance propagates to other road segments or links in the road network. Accordingly, service providers are challenged to develop metrics for efficiently modeling how traffic propagates among road segments or links of a road network.